MWRD president reports achievements for district in 2023

Steele said that dozens of other stormwater management projects on the north, west and south sides of Cook County were also launched. Additionally, by working with federal and local partners of the MWRD, she said, it leveraged an additional $36 million for projects to alleviate flooding in Cook County.

The MWRD advanced groundbreaking research to address water pollutants, securing an official United States patent with its partners at the Iowa State University Research Foundation for technology to remove dissolved solids from wastewater as part of a unique algae recovery system that aims to reduce carbon emissions and recover nutrients to improve water quality.

“As the world braces for the unpredictability of climate change,” Steele said, “our board of commissioners adopted a climate action plan that guides us in reducing greenhouse gas emissions to thwart the crippling effects of global warming, flooding and pollution that threaten the region’s water resources.”

The MWRD’s commitment to fiscal responsible stewardship and professional management were also recognized this year. Steele said that Fitch Ratings again affirmed MWRD’s AAA credit rating. Moody’s Investor Services upgraded the MWRD’s credit rating to Aa1, and the National Association of Clean Water Agencies honored the MWRD with platinum awards including for excellence in management.

“This year, we set out to provide excellence in stormwater management, wastewater treatment, climate change accountability and fiscal responsibility,” Steele said, “and we did.”

For more information, visit mwrd.org.